King Arthur’s Excalibur and Other Legendary Swords

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

The Sword Excaliburis undoubtedly the most famous of all mythical swords. We know it as the sword ofKing Arthur, which he drew from a stone and hence proved his birthright and royalty. However, most accounts have it differently. According to various legends, the Sword in the Stone is a sign of Arthur’s royalty but the more magical Excalibur was given to him by the Lady of the Lake. In other versions, the Sword in the Stone was broken in battle and replaced by Excalibur. Regardless of origin, it is hard to argue the latter’s standing as the number one mythological sword.

Other Legendary Swords

Excalibur may be the most popular sword but the concept of a magical and powerful blade is not exclusive to the Arthurian legend. Julius Caesar's sword Crocea Mors allegedly had the powers to kill anyone it struck. In Greek mythology, the harpe, a sword with a sickle protrusion near the tip was used by the Titan Cronos to defeat his father Uranus. Norse mythology is also not short on these fantastic weapons, such as the sword Gram which was used by the hero Sigurd to kill the dragon Fafnir. The Celts have the Claiomh Solais, the sword of light which conquers darkness. Other famous fabled European swords include the magical Colada and Tizona, which were carried by the 11th-century Spanish nobleman and military leader El Cid. Also, the 8th-century French paladin Roland wielded the famous Durandal and died with the sword defending the Pass of Roncevaux.

Asian mythology, too, has its share of such swords. For instance, Susanoo, the Shinto god of the seas and storm found his blade Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi on the tail of an eight-headed beast he killed; the sword can be seen on the Imperial Regalia of Japan. Cheng Ying, the Chinese sword of elegance, possessed a blade not visible to the eye but formidable enough to fell several trees in one stroke.

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